Midleton Very Rare Irish Chestnut Edition
Cappoquin Estate 70cl

Midleton Very Rare Irish Chestnut Edition is the first Irish whiskey finished in Irish sweet chestnut, a wood never used for the purpose before.

The trees grew on Cappoquin Estate in County Waterford, where the Keane family have lived since 1735. Master Distiller Kevin O’Gorman spent eight years on the project, aiming to source Irish chestnut sustainably and create a new unparalleled style of Irish single pot still whiskey. Working with Sir Charles Keane, Midleton’s forestry team chose six trees. The wood was air-dried for two years, then coopered into hogsheads and lightly toasted.

The single pot still was matured for 12 to 19 years in American oak bourbon barrels, then finished in these chestnut hogsheads for five more years. It has been bottled at cask strength and non chill filtered.

Nose: Decadent aromas of honey-drizzled red apple and caramelised orange peel. Luscious tones of smooth, melted chocolate and toffee fudge are harmoniously balanced by the heightened woodland spices including nutmeg, cinnamon and sandalwood. The rich and nutty undertones further accentuate the savoury nature of this wonderfully complex whiskey. Taste: Sweet orchard fruits with subtle hints of citrus are closely followed by generous waves of vanilla, chocolate shavings and soft wood tannins, complementing the pot still spices and delicate herbs. The spices continue to build with notes of freshly crushed pepper and a mild prickle of chilli oil, while carefully balanced by the textured and full-bodied character of this aged pot still whiskey. Finish: Lasting finish which sees the fruits slowly fading, leaving the pot still spices and chestnut wood to have the final say.